


The Border of Broken

by JANJANBERRY



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Manipulation, Project Freelancer, Rescue Missions, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-10-26 18:18:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10792113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JANJANBERRY/pseuds/JANJANBERRY
Summary: Agent York is taken captive by the insurrection, and it's up to the other freelancers to save him before they get any information out of him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> me: hey i should probably update my other fics  
> my Shit Brain(tm): hey let's start a new fic  
> basically i felt like there's not enough york content so i wanted to write something centering around him. i also wanted to write something painful so yeah.

The first thing York noticed when he woke up was pain – the searing pain in his leg that tore through him. The second thing he noticed was the pair of handcuffs digging into his wrists and holding his arms behind his back. That really wasn’t a good sign. After a few moments of lying on the cold metal floor beneath him, he dared to open his eyes.   
His vision took a moment to adjust to the bright lights glaring down on him. He was in a small cell, just barely big enough for him to lie down in, and he was clearly not on the Mother of Invention. There were two guards standing outside wearing insurrectionist armor, which helped York piece together the puzzle of just what happened.  
He could remember taking a bullet to the leg while trying to get to his weapons and armor. He could remember the bastard insurrectionist that shot him throwing him over his shoulder while more bullets flew past them. He could remember the last thing he saw before one of the intruders knocked him out was a shuttle door closing too soon for Carolina to stop them. It was an ambush that he wasn’t ready for fast enough, and now he was stuck on the enemy ship as a prisoner.   
He could hear Delta’s voice in his head running calculations and different probabilities to calm himself down, but honestly it was just giving York a headache. “Not now, D. I need to focus.” He grumbled soft enough so as not to alert the guards.   
Before Delta could object, another person approached York’s cell. The guards stepped aside and allowed this person to enter without question. He figured it was probably a commanding officer, or at least someone important enough to open the bars for.   
“Well look what we have here.” They said as they looked down at York. “You freelancers aren’t so tough when you’re alone.”   
Delta was telling him not to answer, but York couldn’t help but try to get some clever quip in. “You know, if you wanted me handcuffed in your room you could have just asked nicely.”   
Even though they were wearing a helmet, he could tell they weren’t amused. “I don’t think you’re really in a position to be making jokes, Agent York.”   
Again, Delta was practically begging him to keep him mouth shut. “What position do you want me in, then?”   
His grin was interrupted by the insurrectionist’s boot slamming into his gut. “Enough. We didn’t bring you here to listen to you run your mouth like an idiot. We want information.”  
“Information, eh? Well, did you know that you’re more likely to be struck by lighting than to die in a pelican crash?” That shit eating grin was back. Delta wished he could turn himself off.   
The insurrectionist stomped on his leg this time, sending violent pain coursing through his body from the still bleeding bullet wound. As they watched him gasp and writhe in pain, they crouched down and grabbed his face to make him look at them. “Are you done playing games? Because I’d rather not have to turn you over to our information retrieval specialists. We can get this over with nice and easy, right now. Then we’ll patch you up and let you go. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? So what do you say? Are you going to tell me everything you know about project freelancer, or am I going to have force it out?”  
He was still gritting his teeth, trying to ignore the pain. “Go to hell…” He growled. “You’ll have to kill me because I’m not telling you a damn thing.”  
They let go of him and stood up. “It’s a real pity. I thought this could be short and sweet. I just hope the specialists leave enough of you that your friends will be able to identify your remains.” They shook their head as they stood up and walked out of the cell. “Have him brought down to the interrogation room in five minutes. I want to give him a bit of time to make peace with whatever gods he worships.” They told the guards on their way down the hall.   
York was struggling to hold back tears from the throbbing in his leg. It was always that damn left side. He didn’t even see the bullet coming, and now it was going to be the death of him. Delta starting running calculations again, but this time York didn’t stop him. He knew that if he died then Delta would get taken out too, which meant they were both going to take Project Freelancer’s secrets to the grave. As long as he made sure they didn’t find out about Delta they wouldn’t get anything out of taking him prisoner. At least he could do that much to protect his friends now.

Meanwhile, aboard the Mother of Invention, Carolina was barely holding together. “Why can’t we just go get him?”   
The director had his back turned to her. “I’m not risking anymore agents to rescue him. If he can’t find his own way out then he’ll do the smart thing and kill himself before they can get any information out of him.”  
North had to hold Carolina’s arm to keep her from strangling someone. He and Wash had come along to help her convince the director to let them send out a recue party to save York, but it didn’t seem to be working. “He’s injured and he doesn’t even have his armor. He can’t escape like that.” She tried reasoning with him.  
“Good, then we don’t have to retrieve any of his equipment.” His voice was cold.  
North spoke up this time. “With all due respect, sir, Carolina is right. York doesn’t stand a chance. Do you think you could really stand to lose your only infiltration specialist?”   
“Counselor, how many times has Agent York successfully opened a lock in the field?” The director asked his second in command.   
“That would be zero, sir.” He responded.  
“There’s your answer, Agent North Dakota.”   
Now Wash had to hold them both back. They had no standing. The director would never let them go, and if they went rogue it would only put them all in danger.   
Just as Carolina was about to walk away, Wash spoke up. “What about Delta, sir?”   
That caught his attention “What about Delta, Agent Washington?”  
“You said in AI theory class that AI’s are expensive, but can give a soldier an advantage in battle. I don’t think we should let something that valuable fall into enemy hands.”   
He thought for a moment. “Fine. Arrange a small team. No more than four. Retrieve AI unit Delta, and possibly Agent York. You have two hours to prepare.” The director commanded. “You are dismissed.”   
If it weren’t for Delta, he would have no problem letting York rot on the insurrectionist ship. He was a good agent, but the director despised him. He was distracted, snarky, always seemed to be fidgeting with something, didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, and worst of all, York had eyes for Carolina. He wouldn’t allow her to have any distractions, especially not one who was so unfocused and reckless.   
Unfortunately for the director, York was a damn good agent. Though he talked to himself and fidgeted constantly, it seemed to help him focus and perform excellently both on tests and in the field. He was smart, quick thinking, and kept his cool under pressure. There was a reason the counselor had chosen York to be paired with Delta. With the help of an AI he was more efficient, more focused, but still had his little ticks that irked the director to no end.   
Carolina on the other hand found all of York’s quirks endearing, though she would never admit it. He could chatter on and on about something he found interesting, he was always in motion somehow, and he could always find some way to make a joke. There were days when she felt too tired to be a person where she would find some corner of the ship, get him started on something interesting Delta told him, or some movie he and North really liked, and just listen. Every once in a while she’d bring him something to tinker or fidget with that he just adored. Things with buttons or spinners that would give him something to do with his hands when he needed something to help him focus always made him smile, especially because the clicking and whirring sounds they often made drove her father crazy. She even loved the way that when he was interrupted he sometimes just forgot what they were talking about. Everything her father despised she adored about him.   
She couldn’t help but think of all this as she hurriedly put her armor on. Those insurrectionists had no idea what they were in for, she just hoped their rescue mission wouldn’t come too late.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shoutout to my boi dane for helping me with some ideas for the chapter. also shoutout to myself for sitting down and cranking out another chapter instead of working on my other fic that i need to update. thanks brain.

It was about an hour until the rescue mission would be launched when Agent Texas came onto the bridge. “I want in on the rescue mission.” She said to the director.  
“If you’re worried about your standing on the leader board, this won’t change anything.” He didn’t even turn to look at her.   
“This has nothing to do with the stupid leader board. You told them no more than four, and there’s only three of them. I want to go.” She liked York from the day they met. He was honorable, which she could definitely respect. He seemed to be the only one who didn’t immediately see her as a threat rather than a teammate.   
“I can’t allow that, Agent Texas. I don’t want to risk my best agent.”  
“So you think they’ll fail? You think North, Wash, and Carolina are expendable?”   
That really seemed to piss him off. “I think you should learn to take orders. You are not going on that mission because I said you’re not. Do I make myself clear, Texas?”   
“… Yes…” She had to contain her anger. After all, he had given her everything: her identity, her rank, her training, and her equipment. She knew because he told her almost every day.  
“What was that?”   
“Yes, sir.” She sneered the last word before storming off to the training room. 

Just before they loaded into the pelican, CT ran up to Wash. “I’m coming with you guys.”   
Wash seemed surprised. “I didn’t think the director would let anyone else go.”  
“I’m a stealth specialist, of course I’m coming with you. Plus, I wanna make sure you don’t get yourself killed.” She seemed like she genuinely just wanted to help, but she had her own reasons for tagging along.   
“Thank Con- I mean, CT.” He corrected himself as they walked to their seats.   
“No problem, Wash.” 

The commanding officer had ordered York’s guards to escort him to the interrogation chamber, but it ended up with him being dragged along the hall, leaving a smear of blood wherever his left thigh touched anything.   
While they were pulling him off of the elevator, her suddenly lashed out, swinging his body to trip one of the guards, sending all three of the crashing to the ground. While they were disoriented, he tried to wriggle his way back into the elevator and get to a shuttle bay or some kind of weapons depot where he could at least find some way to defend himself, but they were a lot faster than he had hoped. One grabbed his ankle and pulled him back into the hall as they got to their feet.   
“Where do you think you’re going, freelancer?” One of them spat, throwing him back to the ground.  
Hitting the floor knocked the wind out of him, but he still managed a joke. “Sorry, guys, I’ve got plans tonight. Do you think we could reschedule this?” York wheezed.   
“I think it’s kind of cute how he makes jokes when he’s scared. The interrogators are gonna love him.” The other one said before jerking York up again and continuing to drag him along the hall.   
Despite all his writhing and protesting, he couldn’t free himself from the guard’s grip until he was tossed into a chair at a metal table. If he could walk he would have tried to escape, but the pain from his wound was too excruciating to put his weight on. There was no way he was escaping unless someone decided he was worth rescuing.   
The guards stood by the door for a few minutes, giving York time to try and figure out a plan with Delta.  
_”Alright, D, what’s the plan?”_ He thought. _”How do we get out of this?”_  
Delta took a second to run some scenarios. _”It would seem that you are currently unable to make any escape attempts that wouldn’t end in failure or death. I would recommend attempting to persuade your captors into releasing you.”_  
 _”Great idea, we’ll just ask them nicely and they’ll let us go.”_  
_”There is no need to be sarcastic, York. Diplomacy has worked many times throughout history.”_ Delta seemed a bit hurt at his response. _”Perhaps I should attempt to persuade them.”_  
_”No way, D. If they find out about you they’ll rip you out and get everything they need from you, which means they’ll kill me and force you to work with them.”_   
_”I would prefer an outcome that does not end with you dying.”_  
_”Me too, big guy, me too.”_  
It was then two more armored strangers walked in. “State your name and your rank.” One said as the guards walked out.   
“Bond. James Bond. Secret service.” He could feel Delta’s anxiety, but at least it meant he was scared enough to have detached himself from the situation. It wasn’t exactly a skill, but in his line of work disassociating for preventing panic while jumping out of airplanes and off buildings.   
The interrogators looked at each other. “It’s been a while since they’ve given us a lively one.” The first one said. “It’ll be nice to break one in for ourselves.”   
The other was silent, but nodded in agreement.   
“Why don’t we help our guest get comfortable?” The more talkative one said as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and some matches. “Do you smoke?”  
“I quit a few month ago. Now I only do heroin.”   
“That’s a shame.” They said before taking their helmet off and grabbing a cigarette from the pack.   
The silent one took York’s handcuffs off, giving him the opportunity he needed to grab them by the back of the head and slam them against the table. He took their gun from its holster, then hopped away from the chair on the leg that still worked. He pointed it at the talkative one. “You’re going to let me go right now or I’ll kill you.”   
They looked shocked and put their hands in the air. “Calm down, buddy. There’s no need to get hostile.” The cigarette was still hanging from their mouth, still not lit. “Put the gun down, tell us what we want, then we’ll let you go.”  
_”York, I think it is important tha-“_  
He pulled the trigger before Delta could warn him, but all that came out was the click of an empty gun. _”I was going to tell you that there was a 92.3% chance that the gun is not loaded.”_  
“Do you really think we’re stupid enough to bring a loaded gun into a room with a freelancer? Face it, pal, you’re hopping around with a hole in your fucking thigh. We don’t need guns to stop you. All we have to do it put stairs in front of you or go through some turbulence and you’re on the ground.” They sat on the table and lit their cigarette with one of the matches. “Have a seat, Agent York, and we’ll give you a couple gifts. In exchange, you can give us some information.”  
The silent one pulled York back into the chair and handcuffed him again, this time looping the chain through a ring on the table. “Now, I’d rather not have to pull out the big guns, so make this easy on yourself; give up and go home. Tell us everything you know about project freelancer, and we’ll give you an all expenses paid trip back to earth.”  
“No deal. I always hated that place anyways.” The smell of tobacco smoke revolted him now. It made the air itself feel thick and hostile.   
The talkative one sighed. “I always hate to do this, but what if we incentivized you with some jewelry?” A smirk spread across their face as they flicked their ash into York’s face.  
“And it’s not even our anniversary, how thoughtful.” His voice dripped with sarcasm as the silent one secured a metal collar around his neck.   
Suddenly, a searing jolt of electricity coursed through his body. That was definitely something both he and Delta could feel. His fingers curled as the shock gripped him.   
“Well this is a shocking development.” His grin was more spiteful than anything. “You got more ‘joules’ for me?”   
The talkative one flicked his ash at York again before putting his cigarette out on his wrist. “Just keep talking, wise guy, as long as you start talking about your little organization eventually.”  
“I don’t think you’ve _amp_ ed it up enough. I think my _current_ situation to be too boring to start spilling.” The jokes just kept coming. They were distracting him from his own pain and Delta’s anxiety.   
Another jolt rushed through him, stronger this time. He could barely hold back a scream as it ripped through him.   
“Ready to talk?”  
York just laughed. “I’ve been talking the whole time, haven’t you been enjoying my witty sense of humor?”   
“I’m genuinely surprised your teammates haven’t killed you yet.” They let another cigarette and took a long drag. “It’s no wonder they haven’t tried to rescue you yet.”  
“I’m sure they’re on their way right now.” He knew at least North would try to save him, even if it meant going rogue.   
“Is that what you really think? How sad is your life? You’ve been out for days, Agent York, and so far no one has tried to save you.”  
_”That is incorrect. You were knocked out for approximately 2 hours and 32 minutes.”_ Delta needed to make sure York didn’t fall for their tricks.  
“Bull. Shit. I was out for a few hours.” York thanked Delta in his head and braced himself for another shock.  
But it never came. Instead, water and chunks of ice crashed over his head, soaking his clothes and chilling him to the bone.   
“It’s a bit warm in here, don’t you think? Maybe my partner and I will let you cool off for a bit before letting you decide whether you want to talk or not.” They said before hopping off them table and walking out the door, followed by the silent one.  
Time seemed to drag on as the temperature of the room dropped rapidly. He shivered, unable to even cling to himself for warmth.   
_”York, your body temperature is dropping at an alarming rate. Perhaps-“_  
_”I know, D. I can’t exactly do anything about it.”_ He felt his eyelids dragging. He could remember always being tired after going for a swim in a cold lake as a kid. This was probably that same tiredness, the lure of warmth found in sleep.  
_”York, you must remain awake. It is dangerously cold and you may not wake up.”_ Delta warned him.  
_”I’ll be fine, just let me close my eyes.”_ He let out a yawn and let his eyes drift shut just as another burning jolt hit him. It had him wide-awake again, but still so exhausted from the cold. “God dammit!” He cursed, slamming his fist on the table. “I’m not telling you a damn thing so you might as well let me fucking sleep!” It took all his concentration to keep his teeth from chattering as he spoke. The cold metal handcuffs stung on his wrists, and the cigarette burn only seemed to worsen when the freezing metal brushed against it as he rocked back and forth to try and warm himself up.   
There was no response, just a drawn out surge of electricity that made him howl in pain. It hurt. It all hurt. The bullet wound in his leg, the lump on the back of his head from when they knocked him out, the shocks, and the cold. It all hurt so much, but he had to bear it. He had to protect his friends, even if they really had left him to die.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh if i had taken my friends' advice this fic would be really fucking gory but i'm not gonna do that because 1. i have my limits and 2. too much gore is just excessive, so y'all can thank me for not listening to some of my friends.

The rescue party sat in silence as the pelican made its way towards the insurrection ship. The trip took a little more than two hours just to find the thing, and another half hour to find somewhere discreet to dock. When they did find somewhere to infiltrate, the freelancers slipped in silently and looked around for guards.  
“Alright, we should split up and try to find some kind of data logs. Look for anything that might tell us where he could be. Ship maps, prisoner logs, anything you can get your hands on. Got it?” Carolina was in no mood for any shenanigans on this mission. “Keep your radios on, report anything you find immediately, and kill anyone who sees you.”  
“Copy that.” North replied before heading down one of the hallways.  
Carolina and Wash both went opposite directions at a nearby intersection, leaving CT alone.  
Once she was sure they were out of earshot, she switched her radio to a different frequency. “This is CT, I’m on board the ship with Agents Washington, Carolina, and North Dakota. Does anyone copy?”  
“We read you loud and clear, CT. Head to the security room for briefing.” The voice on the other end stated.  
She looked around before heading down the same hall as North.  
When she made it to the security room, there was already someone waiting for her.  
“Let’s make this quick, before your freelancer friends find what their looking for.” The man sitting in front of the monitors said to her. “The prisoner hasn’t talked yet. It’s your job to slow the other freelancers down until we have what we want.”  
On the screen behind him she could see where they were keeping York. He was shivering, then suddenly jerked into an uncomfortable angle for a few seconds before slumping back in his chair. The sight made her stomach churn, but she nodded. “Understood. I’ll lure them away from him until you give me the clear.”  
He couldn’t help but notice how she was fixated on the screen. “It’s for the greater good, CT.”  
“I know.” It still made her feel sick, even as she walked out of the security room and got back on the freelancer frequency. “I think I found something, I’m sending coordinates to what’s labeled as an unused storage room. They might be keeping him there.”  
“Good work, CT. We’ll meet you there.” Carolina responded.

To York it felt like he was stuck in the freezing cold for hours. Delta would occasionally update him on the temperature, but it didn’t make him feel any better. He was almost sure he would freeze to death if they didn’t keep forcing him awake with that damn shock collar.  
When his interrogators returned his lips were blue, and his fingers were numb. Only his shivering gave away the fact that he was alive. He looked up and managed a slight twitch on the corner of his mouth. “S-so you’ve d-decided to s-stop giving me the c-c-cold shoulder.” He stammered, shaking too violently to speak clearly.  
“You can make this all stop.” The talkative one said, sitting on the table again. “You can have a warm bed and a nice cup of coffee if you just talk.”  
“Fine, I’ll talk.” He sighed.  
The interrogator leaned in. “Tell me what you know.”  
York took a deep breath. “We’ve been working on something top secret for a few months. We’ve made a device called ‘updog.’”  
“And what is updog?”  
York’s grin spread across his face. “Not much, what’s up with y-“  
The interrogator seized his throat. “Do you think this is a fucking game?” Their grip was like a vice; tightening every time he tried to gasp for air. “People’s lives are at stake here and you’re making shitty jokes. You think this whole thing is hilarious, don’t you?” They turned to their silent companion. “Uncuff him.”  
The silent one just nodded and did what they were told. Once York’s hands were free he clawed at his captor’s hand desperately before he was thrown to the ground like a ragdoll. “People died to get you here, so it’s my job to make sure that was worth it. Now, you’re going to talk, or I’ll beat you until you do.”  
The cold metal floor stung his skin, making him clench his teeth. “Then you’re gonna have to beat me to death.”  
A hard kick to his gut made him instinctively curl up into a defensive ball, but the shock that came afterwards made his back arch as his body convulsed on the floor. Another kick, this time slamming him against the wall, and he just went limp. Maybe pretending to be knocked out would get him some reprieve from this hell.  
“Playing possum won’t work on us.” The talkative one growled as they kicked him again and again until York tasted blood in his mouth.  
Before he could make another joke, the silent one came over and turned his radio to speaker. “Good news, the mission report came in. Looks like we got some of those bastards.”  
York’s stomach dropped. They killed some freelancers. He opened his mouth to speak, but the interrogator put their foot on his throat to keep him quiet.  
“Which ones?” They asked.  
“We got four of ‘em, report says it was North Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Carolina. They were in the port we blew to bits before getting out of there.” The voice on the radio seemed to revel at the death of York’s friends.  
“Thank you for telling me this.” The talkative one removed his foot from York’s throat to marvel at the look on his face.  
_”Is that true, Delta?”_ He didn’t want to believe it. It had to be a lie or he just might lose it.  
_”It is entirely possible that the freelancer agents mentioned died when the starboard docking station was destroyed.”_ Delta paused for a moment. _”I am sorry, York. I am aware you and Carolina were very close.”_  
“No… It’s not true…” A burning jolt coursed through him, drawing an agonized scream from him mouth. Hot tears streamed down his face and onto the floor. “You lying son of a bitch! I’ll kill you!” Another shock. Another scream. He broke into sobs, whatever he was trying to say made incoherent by his blubbering.  
“Do you need me to show you the reports we found?” The silent one brought a tablet for his partner to look over. “Let’s see… Where should we start? Oh! This one looks fun. Seems like Agent North Dakota suffocated when his helmet was knocked off in the blast. Poor bastard’s lungs collapsed in his chest.”  
“Stop it…” York growled, but he was silenced by another kick in the ribs.  
“Texas was blasted into bits by a direct hit from a missile. They only found a few fingers and some bits of armor. At least it was quick”  
He grit his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to listen to Delta’s calculations of the current gravity or the amount of power it took to light various kinds of flashlights, but he couldn’t seemed to take his attention away.  
“Let’s see here… Washington died of blood loss after his legs got blasted off. Oh, and he was so young too. Such a terrible fate for a teenager.” The false sympathy grated against him, but all he could do was focus on keeping it together.  
“And, saving the best for last, Carolina died after the emergency airlock nearly chopped her in half. The doors crushed he spine and trapped her there for two hours before the pain and shock of seeing her own organs made her put a bullet in her head. Must have really hurt, and she was so close to escaping too. What a shame… She was quite the looker.”  
That did it for him. He couldn’t hold back the loud sobs, and he didn’t really care to anymore. He didn’t care that he was crying like a child. He had no one to protect anymore. North, his best friend; Tex, the woman who saved his life during the training accident; Wash, the little brother he would kill for and die for; and Carolina, the person who meant more to him than anything in the universe. They were all gone.  
The interrogator drew their foot back to kick him again, but York had given up. “Enough… please… I’ll tell you anything you want to know…”  
_”York, you are currently experiencing intense grief. I know I will not be of much assistance, but know that I am still here.”_ Delta tried to assure him, but York had already surrendered. He didn’t care. He just wanted to go home.  
The interrogator stood tall. “See how easy that was? And just think, you could have saved yourself all this pain if you had just decided to give up earlier.”  
York kept his eyes closed. He’d never wanted so badly to have a loaded gun. He didn’t even need a full clip, just three bullets would do.  
“Let’s get the questions started.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm probably gonna wrap this one up soon, but if you like it you should check out my other fics. i try to update pretty frequently, and if i'm not working one i'm probably working on another.

“Dammit! Another dead end!” Carolina shouted, slamming her fist against the metal wall of a third empty storage room.   
North put his hand on her shoulder “We’ll find him. We haven’t even found any sort of prisoner storage. If the document CT pulled found is lying, then he’s probably there. We just need to find a map of the ship.”  
While they were talking, a voice came through CT’s radio. “We got what we need, your friends can find him on the fourth level detention block.”   
She didn’t respond, but they knew she got the message. “I think the file mentioned something about some cells on the fourth level.”  
“Then that’s where we’re going.” Carolina led the way towards the elevator, stepping over the bodies of a few guards that got in their way.   
There wasn’t much trouble getting to the detention block, just a couple guards here and there that were easily dealt with. The section CT mentioned was small, just a few small cells of which only one was occupied.  
They found him curled up on the floor, still shivering and sobbing. Carolina pressed the button to open the doors and immediately knelt down on the floor and pulled him into her arms.   
He flinched at the touch, but when he opened his eyes he was overrun with relief. Carolina was alive, and holding him in her arms. It should have filled him with joy, but all he could manage were more sobs. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” He choked out as he clung to her armor.   
“For what?” She was confused. Was he sorry for getting captured? For not being ready for the attack?  
“I told them everything. I wasn’t strong enough.” He felt as if he was going to drown in his own tears.   
Carolina was not a gentle person. She was rough and tumble, and hadn’t been shown much kindness since she was a little girl, but right now she mustered all of the gentleness that York had shown her and tried to calm him down. “Shh… It’s okay… It’s okay… You don’t have to apologize.” She assured him, trying to give him as much comfort as she could while still in her armor.   
Wash looked at North. “Is he… is he okay?” He’d never seen York like this. He was always standing tall and cracking jokes. This couldn’t possibly be the same man he knew. It just didn’t seem possible that someone so strong could be reduced to this shaking mess.   
“He’ll be alright.” North said, but there was definitely doubt in his voice. He’d never seen York in such a way either.   
CT avoided looking at the scene entirely. “I hope he’s alright.” The sentiment was genuine, but it was more for her own conscience than any friendliness she might have towards him.   
After a few moments of being held by Carolina, York’s tiredness overcame his emotions and he was out like a light. In his sleep he still clung to her as if letting go meant letting go forever. She didn’t mind, though. “We should get him back to the ship.” She said as lifted him off the ground and faced the others.   
She let North take the lead and had Wash and CT watch her back. She was too distracted by York to really watch where she was going, let alone lead the group. Every bruise or bump caught her eye as she looked him over. There were burn marks and bruises on his neck, his wrists were bruised as well, his skin was pale and cold, and there was a dribble of blood coming from his mouth. It made her burn with rage. How dare they do this to him? How dare they take her York and break him like this? They were going to pay. She would make sure of that.   
You still in there, Delta?” She asked, hoping she’d get an answer.  
The familiar green hologram appeared next to York’s head. “Yes. I am still here.”  
“Good. Do you think you could identify the people who did this to York?”   
“I could identify one of them quite easily.”  
Carolina smirked under her helmet. “Perfect.”  
“Agent Carolina, I do not think it is wise to seek the interrogation specialists. Agent York requires medical attention, it is important that we get him back to the Mother of Invention as soon as possible.”   
As much as she wanted to get revenge, Delta was right. If York weren’t still shivering in his damp pajamas she would have easily mistaken him for a corpse. He would probably thank her a lot more for warm blanket and a cup of coffee than his torturer’s head. “Fine. We’ll get back to the pelican and try to warm him up.”  
Seeing the results of their “interrogation” she couldn’t help but wonder how they turned her funny, sweet, and charismatic York into this pathetic ragdoll in her arms. “What did they do to him?”  
Delta paused for a moment. “They used a mix of physical and psychological torture, although it was the psychological torture that was the most effective.”   
Carolina clenched her teeth. “What did they do?” she repeated.  
“They made him believe that you and Agents North Dakota, Washington, and Texas had died in the attack, then graphically described each death. That was what broke him.”   
Her rage only grew with that information, along with her compassion. He had been through so much, and she couldn’t protect him.   
Their path back to the ship was easy. Anyone unfortunate to be in the way got shot down by North, and anyone coming up from behind took a bullet from Wash. Once they were back on the Pelican, Carolina started barking orders.  
“Someone find some kind of blanket or something, anything that will help keep him warm on the way back home.” She said as she set York down in a seat and started rummaging.  
North managed to find some emergency supplies in the cockpit and brought them back. “There should be some blankets in here.” He said as he set the brightly colored bag down and unzipped it. There was one thick wool blanket that he handed to Carolina.   
She bundled York up as best as she could, making him look more like a shivering sushi roll than a trained soldier, and held him close. Even if her armor kept her from warming him up herself she couldn’t stand to let him go.   
Wash sat next to North across from them, watching with concern. York was like his older brother. He teased him, but it was always light heated. He could remember a time after failing a simulation the director kept forcing him through. After about the fifth failure when Wash was about to pass out from exhaustion, York “accidentally” spilled his coffee on the training room control panel to give the poor kid a break. York was always the one who took care of Wash, which is why this whole situation felt completely wrong. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Wash was supposed to be the one who needed someone to save him, not York.   
North felt the same, but for very different reasons. York was his friend. They were always joking around and had each other’s backs. Even on the days when York wasn’t at his best, they took care of each other. North distracted the director when York wanted to sneak off to some corner of the ship with Carolina. York smuggled North’s favorite foods and whatever alcohol he could get his hands on whenever they stopped for supplies. Even when York lost his eye, he and North had a contest of who could make the most jokes about it. Their bond was stronger than the one between North and his own sister, and now he had seen his best friend in a crumpled, sobbing heap.   
“Who would do something like this?” Wash said. He was too young to have really seen the dregs of war yet.   
“Monsters, that’s who.” Carolina hissed in response. “It’s more humane to put your enemies down than to toy with them until they break.”   
CT looked away. “It’s just part of war. Our side isn’t so squeaky clean either.”   
“That’s true, but at least we break into buildings for information instead of people’s minds. We don’t torture people. We don’t make them believe their loved ones are dead.” She growled. Someday she would get her revenge, but for now York needed her to help him recover.  
The rest of the trip back to the Mother of Invention was spent in silence, except for the occasional whimper from York.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey i finally finished something now that my choir stuff for the year is done. i'm gonna be starting another fic really soon, so if you liked this one keep an eye out.

_”They’re alive, Agent York. The other agents are taking us back to the Mother of Invention.”_  
York woke up in a hospital bed under a pile of warm blankets. His entire body hurt, especially around his throat, his leg, and his stomach, but the pain was dulled by the IV in his arm. There were bandages around his neck where the shock collar had been that made him feel smothered, but he didn’t have the energy to rip them off.  
There was something else as well. A pair or arms wrapped around him protectively and helping him keep warm. He let his head flop to the side to see that familiar red hair. Carolina was asleep next to him, squeezing onto the bed and holding him close so she could use her own body heat to raise his temperature.   
She opened her eyes and met his gaze. He looked completely miserable. “What’s wrong?”   
“It hurts…” He croaked, his voice raw from screaming.   
She brushed her fingers through his hair. “I know it hurts.”  
He closed his eyes again. “I wanna go to bed…” He grumbled, clearly a bit out of it from the drugs.  
“You’re in bed, York.”  
“I wanna go to _my_ bed.”   
“You have to stay here until the doctors say we can take you to your quarters.” She ran her fingers through his hair again. “I’ll take you as soon as they say you can go.”   
“I’m awake, isn’t that good enough?” He whined.  
“No, they need to make sure you’re okay.”   
He pouted. “Why couldn’t they do that when I was asleep?”   
She couldn’t help but smile. “They have to make sure your head isn’t messed up.” She was glad he was no longer choking on tears and shaking like a frightened child, but it could easily just be the effect of the painkillers they’d put him on. Only time would tell if the insurrectionists had done any irreparable damage.   
“My head is fine.” He just wanted to be in his own bed.   
Delta appeared near York’s shoulder. “Agent Carolina, perhaps we should request Agent York’s release. Being in his own bed would provide a sense of security and improve his mental state while not under the influence of pain medication.”  
“I agree with D.” York mumbled, already falling asleep again. “Whatever he said.” He wrapped an arm around Carolina and hugged her like a giant teddy bear. “You’re warm…” He said with a yawn.   
She kissed his forehead. “I’m glad you’re okay.”  
“I’m glad you’re okay too…” He rested his head on the crook of he neck as he let sleep take him again.

A few days had passed, and York had found a new corner of the ship to hide with Carolina. It had a big window that let them look out at the stars as they sat together wrapped in a blanket. The crutches he’d been using to get around while his leg was still healing were leaning against the wall. The bandages around his neck were long gone, but the scars from the burns still remained.   
They were sitting and watching the galaxy pass by in silence, his fingers dancing through her hair. It was quiet, but neither one of them minded. Every once in a while, York would point something out and tell Carolina what Delta thought it was. They were warm wrapped up together in the blanket he’d taken from his quarters, pressed close so they would both fit. It seemed that the universe was at peace.   
He was kissed her head and pulled her in closer. “You know, these stars are beautiful, but I think I prefer watching the star in your eyes.”  
“You’re so cheesy.” She said with a smile.   
“I think I’m just the right amount of cheesy. If I was any worse you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.”   
She nestled against him. “You’re right. If you start using those stupid pick up lines too often you might end up sitting here alone.”   
“I don’t think you would do that. I know you love sitting here with me. Who else would talk to you about the logistics of holographic locks when you’re too tired from training to have a conversation?”   
“You know too much about locks. Don’t you think about anything else?”  
“I think about you.”   
Her cheeks turned pink. “You’re too clever for you own good.”  
“It’s why you love me.” He teased her.  
“Don’t get too cocky.” She said before planting a kiss on his cheek. “We should probably get you to bed before someone catches us.”   
He frowned. “C’mon, Carolina.” He opened up his mouth and let out a yawn. “I’m not that tired.”  
She stood, then scooped him up in her arms. “Nope. You’re going to bed. I’ll come back for your crutches later.”  
“Make sure Wyoming doesn’t steal them again, he always readjusts them so they’re too short when I’m not looking.” He said as he leaned his head on her chest.  
“Don’t worry, if he messes with you I’ll kick his ass.” She wasn’t kidding.   
He fell asleep before she got to his quarters, but she didn’t mind. It was nice seeing the faint smile on his face that told her he was probably talking to Delta in his dreams. She couldn’t help but think of the way he was shaking and crying the last time she held him like this, it made her feel better to see him sleeping peacefully in her arms. Now he was safe and recovering, and soon he’d be cleared to go on missions again. She still wanted revenge on the interrogators that did this to him, but seeing him smile again was comforting.  
As she tried to gently set him down in his bed, he clung to her tightly. Even in his sleep he didn’t want to let go of her. As much as she tried to get him off without waking him, he wouldn’t loosen his grip. After a few minutes of what felt like trying to wrestle with an octopus she gave up and crawled into bed with him.  
He wrapped himself around her, muttering something about daisies in her hair as she closed her eyes to sleep.


End file.
